Crusaders rally from 14-0 down against Chiefs to clinch first win in Super Rugby final rematch

Saturday, 28 February 2026

At FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton: Crusaders 43 (George Bell try 19min Noah Hotham try 26min, Christian Lio-Willie tries 30min, 52min, 66min, David Havili try 58min; Taha Kemara 4 con, pen, Chay Fihaki con) Chiefs 33 (Quinn Tupaea try 5min, Etene Nanai-Seturo try 8min, Samisoni Taukei’aho try 22min, Tupou Vaa’i try 73min, Emoni Narawa try 80min; Josh Jacomb 4 con). HT: 24-21.

Yellow card: Noah Hotham (Crusaders) 71min

Rob Penney can breathe easy once more.

The under-siege Crusaders are back in business, after storming to a stunning 43-33 comeback win over the Chiefs in a feisty Super Rugby Pacific final re-match in Hamilton on Saturday night.

Staring down the barrel at 0-2 and on the back of that record-breaking 50-24 loss to the Brumbies in Christchurch six days prior, here they were, the defending champs, down 14-0 inside nine minutes against a raging-hot, confidence-brimming 2-0 Chiefs side.

Oh to have been a fly on the turf at FMG Stadium Waikato not long earlier where Penney and new Chiefs coach Jono Gibbes met for their pre-match handshake as they stared down each other’s warmups, and then again in that Crusaders coaching box early in the contest.

Talk about rollercoaster rides of emotion, and then also for the crowd of 18,330 on a balmy Waikato final evening of summer, who left thoroughly entertained, but thoroughly disappointed, after seeing the red and blacks, their tormenters from last year’s final (and three in the past five years) pile on a whopping 36 unanswered points to seal a remarkable, much-needed, victory.

No 8 Christian Lio-Willie, who rise to All Blacks status last year, reminded of his quality, in a hat-trick effort, as the Crusaders outscored the Chiefs six tries to five, two of those for the hosts coming in the late stages when the damage was done, before a bonus point was ripped from the clutches on fulltime when Leroy Carter spilled the ball in a desperate tackle from Will Jordan.

It was a fitting play from the All Blacks fullback, who reminded of all his class in a superb showing, where he logged a game-high three clean breaks, an equal-high four defenders beaten, and carried for a dangerous 64 metres (second only to his first-five, Taha Kemara).

The Crusaders were made to tackle more than the Chiefs, they were often outgunned at the breakdown, and their shambles of a lineout from last week was only somewhat fixed, losing three of their 11 throws (with hooker George Bell later hobbling off with an injury), but their scrum was solid, and, importantly, they were mentally strong enough, and clearly desperate, to hit back after copping blows.

After Quinn Tupaea had started his All Blacks midfield match-up in style, swatting off opposite David Havili (and with Leicester Fainga’anuku kept quiet) to open the scoring, the crowd had barely had time to sit back down before the Chiefs scored what will be hard to beat when it comes to try of the season.

With Emoni Narawa pilfering a turnover and the Chiefs willing to spin from their own in-goal, it turned into a 100-metre plus special, through several sets of backs hands, then also the big mitts of Josh Lord, who sent Etene Nanai-Seturo on a 30 metre surge to finish it all off.

After Samisoni Taukei’aho had quickly cancelled out Bell’s reply try it seemed a Crusaders comeback was not the order of the day. But they had plenty of other ideas, as Jordan teared through the middle and Noah Hotham finished, before a Jordan chip and chase eventually led to Lio-Willie crashing over for his first.

A 10-minute rest period for the scoreboard attendants was halted on the stroke of halftime, after Chiefs prop Jared Proffit was penalised (and lucky not to have been further punished) for dumping Havili on the back of his neck, and Kemara slotted to give the Crusaders a 24-21 lead at the break.

There was more drama to come, though, with plenty of push and shove and verbals coming as the players made their way to the tunnel. It was enough for Doleman to take the unusual step of entering into the Chiefs’ huddle and lay down the law. The tensions had been simmering earlier after the Chiefs had harshly had a penalty reversed when Flecther Newell had whacked Tupou Vaa’i and the latter had tapped his All Blacks team-mate back on the head.

Needing to return with clear heads for the second stanza, the Chiefs were able to snuff out a hot Crusaders attack, but they were just never able to get themselves into enough good positions in the second stanza, with premier playmaker Damian McKenzie sitting pitch-side as he awaits a return from paternity leave, having re-joined training this week.

A fine carry from back of a ruck had Lio-Willie nab his second to put the Crusaders 10 points clear, and then came a stunner in the left corner to Havili after a wayward Jacobson offload had Hotham hack upfield, Reece chase, Josh Jacomb do well to cover, but then see the red and black backs rip it up and Havili slip through Jacomb on his way to a flying finish.

When a Chay Fihaki chip and chase then had Kemara in support and Lio-Willie on hand to barge over for his third in the 67th minute it was all but over.